Drier.



No. 822,953- PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. F. T. JOHNSON.

DRIER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 28, 1905.

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PATENTED JUNE 12, 1906. F. T. JOHNSON.

DRIER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 28, 1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2 17 65726259 fizvenor.

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FRANCIS T. JOHNSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1906.

Application filed August 28, 1905. Serial No. 275,995-

To all w/wm, it may concern/.-

Figure 1 is a side elevation with parts broken away; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a sectional plan on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a front elevation with parts shown in section; Fig. 5, a side elevation of a modification; Fig. 6, a detail vertical section through another modified form of apparatus, and Fig. 7 a like view of another modification.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in all the drawings.

My invention relates to drying apparatus, and particularly to the circulatory heating and ventilating devices thereof. The invention could be applied to a variety of heaters in fact, to almost any sort of a device for removing the moisture from material by evaporation. I have, however, here shown and described my invention as applied to the drying of clothes hung upon racks in an inclosed chamber. This apparatus consists in general of a drying-chamber, a source of heatsupply, and an air-circulatory system. The drying-chamber may be made in any desired manneras, for example, it may be a sheetmetal cabinet formed of the side pieces A A, the back sections A, and the top A Within the drying-chamber are a number of clothesracks. These are preferably movable and may consist of the front sections B B, which form a closure for the front of the dryingchamber, the back sections B, and between these sections clothes bars or frames B B spaced apart conveniently for holding the clothes to be dried. The front sections are provided with hand-grips B B B The racks are provided with the trolleys B, by means of which they are mounted to run on overhead tracks B secured to the ceiling of the room in any desired manner-as, for example, by the hangers B. The rack-sections may therefore be separately drawn in and out of the drying-chamber. The tracks B are notched at B so as to provide a stop to limit the inward movement of the rack-section. The lower part of the front of the drying-chamber is closed by means of a hinged door O. Below the racks is a screen B to catch any clothing which may by accident fall from the racks.

The air for drying the clothes may be heated and introduced into the drying-chamber in any preferred manner. I have here shown a gas-stove which is made substantially airtight, except for its communication with the drying-chamber This stove consists of a simple fire-box D, resting on a base-plate D, provided at the back With a flue D the entrance to which is closed by a damper D The top plate of the stove is preferably constructed with an aperture D with an offset flange D into which fits a cover or lid D or into which may be set a boiler or the like. At the back of the fire-box is preferably the deflecting-plate D and a lighting-door D is provided at the front. The burners may be of any desired type and are here shown as consisting of three transverse perforated pipes E E E, connected with a supply-pipe E and controlled by the cocks E E E The air from the stove passes through the flue D which extends into the center of the drying-chamber and has the deflector D, secured to the mouth of the flue D by the braces D D, so as to send the hot air in all directions in the drying-chamber. The air thus entering the drying-chamber will of course pass upward through the clothes on the racks and dry the same.

In order to properly ventilate the clothes during the drying process, I introduce fresh cold air into the drying-chamber. It is one of the features of my invention that this cold air is introduced at the top of the chamber. This may be accomplished in various ways, one or more of which may be utilized in given clothes-drying apparatus.

In the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, I have shown the cold air admitted through a long pipe or flue F, extending into and through the chamber from the bottom, its inlet end being provided, preferably, with a screen F. I may also introduce the cold air by means of the hood device shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. To this end the sides A A of the drying-chamber are perforated at G G, and over these perforations, and extending for a considerable distance down the sides of the drying-chamber, are the hoods G G. I have found by experiment that this form of device for admitting the cold air will practically prevent the escape of heat, while carrying off a considerfor convenience is hinged at L able quantity of the moisture coming from the clothes on the racks, the hoods serving, in a sense, as condensers. The moisture drips down the hood G, while the hot air is evidently held from escaping in any appreciable amount by its levity and by the incom ing stream of cold air. This effect seems to be enhanced by the tapering shape of the hood and by arranging the narrow end of the hood close over the apertures G. In Fig. 5 I have shown a slight modification, the intake perforations G and the hood G being placed lower down on the side of the drying-chamber. In Fig. 6 the drying-chamber is shown as formed by double walls H H, the outer wall being perforated at the bottom, as shown at H, and the inner wall at the top, as shown at H. A slightly-different form of intake for cold air is shown in Fig. 7. I have provided a plurality of pipes lying along the wall of the drying-chamber. One of the pipes (indicated by the letter J) is shown in this figure. The others are arranged parallel therewith.

The air leaves the drying-chamber near the bottom, being carried off through a pipe or flue K. The pipe K is preferably provided with the short lower branch K, having the cross K and the longer upper branch K having the cross K", extending transversely of the drying-chamber at its forward end. The lower portions of these pipes are provided with the perforations K K".

The stove may be fed with air in any usual manner; but, preferably, I take the air so required from the drying-chamber. To this end an air-duct L is provided leading from the lower part of the drying-chamber into the front of the stove and "discharging through the upright pipes L L, which open immediately under the gas-burners. I may also provide a sliding duct L", connecting the dryingchamber with the fire-box of the stove, this duct being operated by the handle L, which A stop L on the top of the duct abuts against the deflector-plate D to limit the backward travel of the duct.

The use and operation of my apparatus are as follows:

As heretofore stated, my invention may be put to avariety of uses in connection with apparatus appropriate to the handling of the particular material to be treated. I therefore do not limit myself to its use in connec tion with the drying of clothes described. This application of the invention, however, will illustrate the principles of heating and ventilation which make up the subjectmat ter of my invention. In using this form of apparatus the clothes rack sections are pulled forward and the clothes hung on the bars B the sections then being pushed back into the drying-chamber, which is thereby effectively closed. The gas-burners of the stove are then lighted, the damper D being of course turned back, so as to allow the heated air to pass from the stove in through the duct D and upward among the clothes to be dried. The sliding duct will preferably be drawn forward, so that the air coming into the stove is delivered at the forward end and a draft created which carries the heated air backward through the flue D The heated air will of course rise through the racks of clothing; but insomuch as cold air is being continuously introduced at the upper end of the drying-chamber while the vaporladen air is being carried off from the lower end of the chamber the circulation in general through the drying-chamber will be from top to bottom. This arrangement insures a very even temperature through the drying-chamber and also a very perfect and efficient ventilation of the clothes, approximating, if not equaling, the best results obtainable in drying the clothes in the open air, while of course the operation may be much more rapid. The carrying off a portion of the moisture coming from the clothes near the top of the drying-chamber, which is done, as has been stated, without material loss of heat, eXpedites very considerably the process of drying.

The stove may be used to heat a clothesboiler and at the same time to supply heated air to the drying-chamber, or when it is desired to use it only for heating the boiler or the like the damper D may be closed par tially or fully and the sliding duct L pushed back, so that the hot air is directed toward the aperture D over which the boiler is placed. By means of the lid D flat-irons may be heated in the same manner.

It will be seen that my invention comprises, generally speaking, a drying-chamber with means for heating such chamber, intakes in the upper p art of the chamber for the admission of a ventilating-draft and various devices for discharging the moisture-laden air from such chamber. The heating of the chamber may obviously be accomplished by the direct admission of hot air or by the use of a drum or radiator. I prefer for economical reasons to admit the air immediately to the chamber, and this may be done pro vided the right sort of heater is used. It will be observed, however, that my flue D serves, also, as a drum or radiator, so that the provision for the admission into the chamber of heated air is not absolutely essential. It is very important that the heat should be admitted in the lower part of the chamber, as otherwise it will be necessary to have an artificial draft through the apparatus in order to carry the hot air downward. Itis also important that the cold air, which is heaviest,

am not should be admitted near the top of the chamber; but in order to do this it becomes expedient to have some means for preventing the escape of heat from the cold-air intake. I have found from experiment that the various devices which I have shown are well adapted to this end and particularly the hood device, (shown in Fig. 2,) which not only permits the entrance of plenty of cold air, but also serves to conduct ofl the moisture without allowing'the heated air to escape from the chamber. Just how this happens I prepared to state, although it is apparently because of the levity of the hot air which is met and forced back by the constant stream of cold air, the contact of the hot moist air with the relatively cool hood and the stream of cold air causing the precipitation of moisture. I have found by experiment, for example, that the tapering hood, such as shown at G, Fig. 2, works better than one which is wider at the top. The invention furthermore consists of means for drawing the air out of the drying-chamber, such means being preferably located at the bottom of the chamber below the hot-air discharge. WVhile all of these-features may not be essential to the working of the apparatus, they certainly do contribute to a certain eX- tent to its proper operation. By the construction shown a higher degree of economy and a very perfect ventilation is obtained without any artificial draft and, as it were, automatically.

I claim 1. In a drier, the combination of a dryingchamber with a heater connected so as to supply heat thereto, and a duct leading from the chamber into the heater, said duct movable so as to discharge at different places in the heater.

2. In a drier, the combination of a dryingchamber, with a heater connected so as to supply heat thereto, and a sliding duct leading from the chamber into the heater.

3. In a clothes-drier, the combination of a drying-chamber with a plurality of clothesracks in said chamber, agas-stove, a flue leading from the gas-stove and discharging below the racks, means for admitting a ventilating-draft into the chamber above the racks, and means for discharging the air out of said chamber from below the hot-air flue.

4. In a clothes-drier, the combination of a drying-chamber with a plurality of clothesracks in said drying-chamber, an air-intake at the upper part of said chamber, means for admitting heat to the chamber below the racks and means for causing a ventilatingdraft of fresh air to pass downwardly through the racks.

5. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber, with means for supporting the articles to be dried in said chamber, means for introducing heat below said supporting means, means for introducing a volume of cold air directly to the upper part of the chamber, and means for discharging air from the lower part of said chamber.

6. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber, means for supporting the articles to be dried in said chamber, means for introducing heat below said supporting means, means for introducing a volume of cold air into said chamber, said means comprising air passage-ways leading from outside the drier directly into the upper part of said chamber, and means for discharging air from the lower part of said chamber.

7. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber, means for supporting the articles to be dried in said chamber, means for introducing heat below said supporting means,means for introducing a volume of cold air into said chamber, sa1d means comprising air passage-ways lead ing from outside the drier directly into the upper part of said chamber, means for discharging air from the lowerpart of said chamber, and means associated with said air passage-ways for preventing the escape of hot air through the same.

8. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber and having apertures in the upper part to admit a volume of cold air directly into the upper part of the drying-chamber, with means for supporting the articles to be dried, means for introducing heat below said supporting means, hood devices on the outside of the easing extending over said apertures, and means for discharging air from the lower part of said chamber.

9. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber, the lower part of said casing being closed and the upper part provided with air passage-ways to admit a volume of cold air directly to the upper part of said chamber, means for supporting the articles to be dried within the drying-chamber, a heater outside of said casing and connected with the same so as to introduce heat into the drying-chamber below the supporting means, and a flue leading from the bottom of the casing into the heater.

10. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber, the lower part of said casing being closed and the upper part provided with air passageways to admit a volume of cold air directly to the upper part of said chamber, means for supporting articles to be dried within the drying-chamber, a heater outside of said casing, a flue leading from the heater and opening into the drying-chamber below said supporting means, and a flue leading from the bottom of the easing into the heater.

11. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a dryingchamber, the lower part of said casing being closed and the upper part provided with air passageways to admit a volume of cold air directly to the upper part of said chamber, means for supporting the articles to be dried within the drying-chamber, a heater outside of said casing and connected with the same so as to introduce heat into the drying-chamber below the supporting means, a flue leading from the bottom of the casing into the heater, and an outlet-pi e extending upward from the lower part oft e casing.

12. In a drying apparatus, the combination of a casing forming a drying-chamber, the lower part of said casing being closed and the upper part provided with air passage- Ways to admit a volume of cold air directly to the upper part of said chamber, means for supporting the articles to be dried within the drying-chamber, a heater outside of said casing and connected with the same so as to introduce heat into the drying-chamber below tion of a casing closed at the bottom and having apertures at the top, said casing forming a dryingchamber, hood devices on the outside of the casing flarin at the bottom and extending closely over file apertures, means for supporting the articles to be dried in said drying-chamber, means for introducing heat into the chamber below said supportin means, and adischarge-pipe leading upward from below the heat-introducing means.

FRANCIS T. JOHNSON.

\Vitnesses PERCIVAL I-I. TRUMAN, HOMER L. KRAFT. 

